


Double Digits

by narashikari



Series: Hidari Shoutaro's Home for Technically Non-Existent People [4]
Category: Kamen Rider W (Double)
Genre: 'coz if Toei isn't doing it then I will, Kamen Rider W Ten Year Anniversary special, Multi, focuses on the main cast, has a bit of a sex scene but it's not explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-06-25 21:03:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19753768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narashikari/pseuds/narashikari
Summary: Celebrating ten years of the two-in-one Kamen Rider.





	1. What if Shoutaro Liked to Work Out?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Philip thirsts for his aibou, who is too hot for his own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo I was supposed to start posting this two weeks ago, but stuff happened so here it is :P

Philip wondered what on Earth he had done to deserve such torture.  
  
_Shou,_ he tried to mentally say, _you’re killing me here._ He squirmed, trying to subtly adjust his pants. _Please stop being so hot..._  
  
Philip didn’t think much of it when Shoutaro decided to keep all the exercise gear he got when he went on that one research binge, nor did he say anything when Shoutaro- and then Ryuuga- started adding a few machines to the collection and made a corner of the Garage a workout nook. While he had thought it unusual for his partner to express interest in such a thing, he also thought it unfair to not indulge him when Shoutaro allowed him to pursue pretty much anything that caught his fancy.  
  
Now he found himself utterly regretting it as he watched Shoutaro lifted weights on the bench press, his muscles rippling with each lift, glistening sweat emphasizing the definition of his pecs and abs. His shirt was laying on the ground, discarded sometime before Philip peered down out of curiosity.  
  
It wasn’t like Philip didn’t notice the effects of those workouts. He had noted how differently his partner’s arms and chest filled the dress shirts he wore, how effortlessly he could lift things he couldn’t budge before, how much more endurance he had when they fought as Double.  
  
He’d noticed it in bed, too. Philip could see the beginnings of an eight-pack when he stripped, and how he could keep Philip pinned down to the bed no matter how much he squirmed and thrashed… and Shoutaro now seemed to last forever before he tired of making love to him.  
  
But this… this was…  
  
Searing-hot desire bubbled up from the pit of his stomach. He wanted Shoutaro so badly, but he could do nothing as Ryuuga and Sento were in the room too. And he was pretty sure neither of them would want to see him crawl into Shoutaro’s lap and ride him straight into hell itself.  
  
_Not that Sento is in a much better state,_ Philip thought wryly, glancing momentarily at Sento. The genius physicist was openly gawking at Ryuuga, who was also shirtless as he did his drills, punching at a bag that hung from the wall. A tuft of Sento’s hair stood on end, a clear sign of his interest.  
  
“Hey, Philip-kun, what are you guys looking at over… there...” Aki-chan choked as she leaned over the railing. “SH-SHOUTARO-KUN?!”  
  
Shoutaro squeaked briefly in surprise, but was able to catch himself before his grip slipped. He put the weight down on its stand before sitting and looking up at them on the mezzanine. “What the hell, Akiko?!”  
  
“I should be the one saying that!” Aki-chan shrieked. “Since when did you have... abs?!”  
  
“Chief,” Terui Ryu mumbled, face pink, out of embarrassment.  
  
“Hah?!” Shoutaro exclaimed in confusion, his eyes darting toward each of them. “Wait, why are you all watching us in the first place?!” he demanded, standing up. His shorts slipped down a little as he did, revealing a teasing hint of his pelvic bone that Philip wanted to chase and trace with his tongue.  
  
“Never mind that! I didn’t hear anything about this!” Aki-chan screeched. “If I had, I would’ve gotten Ryu-kun to join you guys!”  
  
“Chief!” Terui Ryu repeated in protest.  
  
“What?” Aki-chan questioned innocently. “You don’t want me to look at your body?”  
  
Terui Ryu started sputtering, flushing as red as his suit, while Sento and Ryuuga were giggling in tandem. _This was getting out of hand…_ Philip inwardly groaned. He glanced sideways to give Shoutaro a long-suffering look-  
  
Only to not meet his eyes. Shoutaro’s eyes were fixated somewhere underneath his face, and when Philip followed his gaze down…  
  
Philip felt his cheeks warm. _He noticed…_  
  
Shoutaro’s eyes flicked back up, focusing on his face now. For a moment he merely looked startled. But then his gaping mouth closed into a mischievous smirk, his eyes sparkling with mirth… and desire.  
  
_Later_ , he whispered from across their mental link. _I’ll let you do whatever you want with my body, partner._  
  
_Anything?_ He asked, gulping in anticipation.  
  
_All yours._ Shoutaro replied. _I don’t mind being ridden, just so you know. Especially by the little devil you are..._  
  
Philip’s face heated up. “Sh-Shoutaro!!” He whined, out loud. Everyone’s heads snapped as they turned in his direction, and Philip squeaked, hiding his reddened face in his palms.  
  
“What? What’s going on?” Ryuuga asked, wiping his face with a towel he got from somewhere. “Hey, why is your face all red, Philip?”  
  
“Oooh, someone’s getting laid tonight,” Sento stage-whispered. He, Aki-chan and Ryuuga started snickering, Terui Ryu choked on his own breath, while Shoutaro merely smiled as though Philip’s embarrassment amused him. Philip swore Shoutaro and all the others will eventually pay for his humiliation.  
  
But for now…

* * *

 _Ngggh… Philip… So… good…_  
  
_Ah, ah, ah! Shoutaro! Hya~_  
  
_Oh, god, oh god… Philip… faster..._  
  
_.. Shoutaro… Please…_  
  
_Philip, Philip, Phi—! Nggggh…!_  
  
_Shouta— AH! Aaaah…!_  
  
_Huff… Huff... I love you so much…_

_Huff… Heh… I love you too..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that most of that thirst is actually mine. Renn should really stop posting pics of himself at the gym...


	2. Philip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-five words on a certain little devil.

**1\. Kanji**  
Raito, that’s what his birth name was. Written with the Chinese characters for “to come” and “person”, which combined means “a person who comes”. It also coincidentally sounds like the English word “right”, i.e. the right side of Double he controls.

It was fitting, he supposed, but it never felt right to him- he would rather still be called by the name Narumi Sokichi gave him. (A name, Greek in origin, which means “he who loves horses”.)

 **2\. Wonderland**  
After they watched the live-action film, Philip had the strangest dream: he’d been Alice, silver armor and all; Aki-chan was the caterpillar, spouting nonsense and blowing on a pipe; Ryu had been the rabbit obsessed with time, telling not to ask questions but needlessly telling him the time; and Shoutaro was, of course, the Mad Hatter, believing in him and looking at him as though the sun rose and set on his command

He was confused, because he was sure Shoutaro really did look at him that way. But the Mad Hatter had been in love with Alice, right? How can Shoutaro be in love with him?

 **3\. Loafers**  
“Philip-kun, I’m sorry, but the cobbler said he can’t fix them,” Aki-chan told him. “They’re just too worn out.”

Philip pouted with all the frustration he could muster. Inwardly he knew she was right- he’d been using those boots for years now. It was the first pair of shoes Shoutaro had gotten him after they escaped Museum together, so he still felt attached to them, even though one of them had a giant hole in the heel now.

“Fine,” he sighed, feet squirming in the pair Shoutaro had lent him. Really, it was fortunate that Shoutaro still had this in good condition- the pair he had worn on Begins Night, all those years ago.

 **4\. Regret**  
He felt sick to his stomach once he realizes what his creations are being used for- and there’s no better proof than the man lying still in his apprentice’s arms, white suit stained with blood.

 **5\. Apparition**  
“It’s time to come home, Philip,” a voice he hadn’t heard in years told him, and Philip stirred, blinking awake.

“Shoutaro?” He gasped at the man, who looked as young as he was when they married. He’d almost forgotten just how handsome Shoutaro was in his prime. “But how?”

“You know why,” Shoutaro replied. He held put his hand in offering. “Remember when you asked if I’d ride into hell with you? Well, this time, I’m asking you if you’d ride with me into Paradise, partner.”

Philip smiled, young and whole once more, and took his hand. “Of course, partner. Always and forever.”

 **6\. Stockings**  
“Keep them on,” Philip commanded with a hoarse, yet demanding tone, before going back to sucking a line of hickies down his throat and thrusting their hips together.

Shoutaro moaned, letting Philip hitch his legs up higher around his waist, and responding to his ministrations with lewd moans. Yet, his mind was clear enough to stammer out a teasing, “So... y-you have a thing for m-me in th-thigh-hi-highs, huh? How half-bo-boiled… Pa-Ah!”

“Shut up,” Philip growled, sealing their lips together and drowning out any more banters in a long, hard kiss.

 **7\. Avatar**  
Philip smirked triumphantly as he tapped at his tablet’s screen, selecting the checkered fedora from the various options available. He was determined to design the perfect digital versions of themselves, and who better to start than with the man he knew better than he knew himself?

 **8\. Squirm**  
Philip couldn’t believe his eyes, even as he held the sobbing child in his arms, soothing him by rubbing circles into his back. The Gaia Library had another avatar walking through its shelves- a boy younger than even he was when he fell into the Well. Even Gaia herself refused to reply, staying silent in spite of his question.

To say it was disconcerting was an understatement, he thought, and he wondered, with a shudder, what had happened to this boy to end up here.

 **9\. Metamorphosis**  
“Let’s go, Shoutaro!” Philip said, determined. “This is our final…”

“Yes… Our final…!” Shoutaro responded, just as ready as he is to finish this once and for all.

Together, they raised their Memories and activated them in tandem. CYCLONE! JOKER! They broke into a run as they declared, “HENSHIN!”

XTREME! The Xtreme Memory flew into the fray, and they were two-in-one, for one last time, for one last battle.

 **10\. Sexcapade**  
Philip was disappointed to learn that the Gaia Library was not interested in recording the specifics of his relationship with Shoutaro. Even when he read through the entirety of his book, he had found nothing about that time in the hot spring in Hokkaido, or that time against the window of their hotel room in Seoul, or that time in the guest bathroom of the Terui home… Philip wondered how crazy they had to get for the Library to do so.

 **11\. Hangry**  
Shoutaro learned, very quickly, that the Child of Fate liked keeping close to his routines, even after getting out of the organization’s grasp. He was thankful that he could make some simple, but fairly nutritious meals for them both, because a grumpy Philip was unreasonable, crabby and simply unpleasant to work with. Not to mention he couldn’t just have his partner passing out when they weren’t transformed into Double.

 **12\. Lush**  
Shoutaro scooped up the half-conscious youth, his vest already falling off to the floor. He carried him through the room to the bed in the nook, laying him down carefully before taking off his boots and cargo pants.

“Honestly, Philip,” he sighed, removing the boy’s necklace and his bull clip-hair pins. “You know you’re weak when it comes to this, and yet…” he trailed off, glancing at the half-empty bottle of wine sitting on the table. Why the hell did Philip even think that was a good idea, he may never know.

 **13\. Jealousy**  
Philip seethes, clenching his fists when he sees Shoutaro walk in with Tokime in tow, envy gurgling in his stomach when he hears him laugh at something she said. That should be me making him laugh. Not her.

 **14\. Basement**  
Before Aki-chan came and convinced him to come out, he was content to stay in the Garage and research his days away. After, he can’t imagine being holed up for days on end like he used to be- now, he wanted to get out into the world and find all the experiences it offered him.

 **15\. Crunch**  
The first time Shoutaro cooked for him, he made fried chicken, and Philip had been amazed at the dish despite its simplicity. Before, he’d only been given plain rice with some kind of tasteless sludge his handlers called a nutrition supplement mixed in to give it a gooey texture. The new, mysterious food almost startled him, with its crisp exterior, the salty gravy, and the tender meat, and he’d been so curious that he went on his first ever research binge outside the walls of the facility.

 **16\. Pressure**  
If he’d been partnered with Terui Ryu from the beginning, Philip was certain he’d come to hate the man, with how easily he got frustrated when things didn’t immediately go his way. He would hate how Terui Ryu would snap at him to find the Dopant even when he had no keywords to give. He would hate how Terui Ryu would push him away as soon as the Dopant was defeated. He would hate Terui Ryu, and he would hate everyone, too, because no one else would’ve taught him better.

 **17\. Stuffed**  
Philip whined childishly as he laid on his back, his head pillowed on Shoutaro’s lap. The older detective laughed as he rubbed his stomach to soothe it. “I’m sorry partner,” Shoutaro said, amused in spite of himself, “but that’s what you get when you eat too much all at once.”

Philip harrumphed, glancing at the floor littered with candy and ice pop wrappers from a research binge on sweets.

 **18\. Isolation**  
It isn’t until Philip arrived in Fuuto that he recognized the cold feeling inside his chest, that he realized he was feeling it at all. It had been loneliness.

 **19\. Trust**  
Transforming into Double required both halves to be in complete synch in each other; that was why, when Philip’s belief in Shoutaro faltered, their powers misaligned too, and they couldn’t be the two-in-one Rider.

 **20\. Legend**  
Double may fade away into myth and rumor, but the Library- and he- will always remember how a half-boiled detective and a research otaku came together to become two in one, to save their city and make those who hurt it count their crimes.

 **21\. Ocean**  
For a wild, singular moment, as Shoutaro held him by the front of his shirt, on the beachfront where they first met, Philip thought Shoutaro was going to kiss him. Oh, if only Shoutaro did kiss him… He would’ve kissed back until Shoutaro forgot how to breathe.

 **22\. Supple**  
Their jaws all dropped when he rolled onto his belly, knees bent up. Then he arched his back, lifting his arms to reach his toes over his head. He held the pose for a moment before he slowly released it, putting his arms down and laying flat on the floor.

He quirked an eyebrow at their shocked faces, grinning salaciously at Shoutaro, who resembled a fire engine with his bright red blush. “And that’s how I keep flexible,” he finished, to Aki-chan’s prying questions.

 **23\. Kahuna**  
Shoutaro may deny it all he wanted, and claim otherwise, but there was no doubt who the Chief of the Narumi Detective Agency was. Philip preferred to stay out of their squabbles over this matter, not wanting to get in the crossfire. He kept his opinions private, and instead watched them argue from a distance laughing at them both for their mutual stubbornness.

 **24\. Darkness**  
He didn’t remember anything that happened between Shoutaro closing Extreme and Wakana waking him in the white void, except cold and black and the vaguest feeling that something was horribly wrong.

 **25\. Pirouette**  
Philip smiled as the dancer in the video spun, lifting her arms high, then leapt into the arms of her partner, who caught her effortlessly. He wondered if he and Shoutaro can do it, too- after all, he trusted that Shoutaro will catch him every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coincidentally, since W was where Masaki Suda debuted, 2019 also marks his tenth anniversary in showbiz! And in such a short amount of time, he's become one of Japan's most prolific actors, a chart-topping singer and even a budding director!
> 
> Congratulations, Sudacchi! I hope you continue to do even more amazing things!


	3. Akiko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-five more words, this time on the Narumi Detective Agency's slipper-wielding Chief.

**一。Breath**  
Akiko inhaled deeply, Ryu-kun giving her a supportive look. She gathered up her courage as she stepped up to Shoutaro’s desk.

The man was busy typing up a case report, but looked up the minute she shuffled closer. “What’s up, Akiko?” he asked, frowning at her serious face.

She took in another breath, then exhaled as she blurted out, “Can you walk me down the aisle at our wedding, Shoutaro-kun?”  
  
**二。Family**  
Akiko smiled, tiredly but proudly, as she laid on her hospital bed watching a smiling Ryu-kun hold Haruna-chan in his arms, Shoutaro-kun and Philip-kun cooing delightedly at their niece.  
  
**三。Handlebar**  
“No, no way, uh uh! I am not learning how to ride a motorcycle!” Akiko cried, making a X with her arms. “I don’t want to! You Riders can do it yourselves!  
  
“But Chief-“ Ryu protested feebly.  
  
“Why, Terui, I didn’t know you were an exhibitionist,” snickered a certain scarf-wearing scientist. “You want your wife to ride in you in public, officer?”  
  
“S-Sento!” Akiko and Ryu cried in protest. Ryuuga swatted his boyfriend in response.  
  
**四。Juicy**  
Akiko smiled as she unpacked her shopping- first and foremost, the strawberries she’d gotten for a steal at the shopping street. And it was the height of the season, too, which meant that they were sure to be sweet and delicious. She washed and cut them into halves, then served them to her officemates with powdered sugar and whipped cream, who devoured them happily and messily, red juice flowing down their lips to drip onto their neck and clothes.  
  
**五。Tempest**  
Akiko knew this was just the calm before the storm, a moment of respite from the constant battles, but she knew they all had to make the best of what little time they had left. What little time _Philip-kun_ had left.  
  
She put on a smile as Philip-kun went around giving everyone “going-away” presents, hesitating at Shoutaro-kun’s for a moment before taking it to the inner office, where he was sulking. She wished Shoutaro-kun would join them, but she understood why he didn’t and let him be.  
  
After all… she wasn’t the one who has to let him go.  
  
**六。Shine**  
“Now… come to me, partner!” Shoutaro declared, and Wakana screamed as the light glowed from the Well grew brighter, and in a burst of energy, Cyclone appeared in its rightful place at Shoutaro-kun’s belt.  
  
Without missing a beat, Shoutaro-kun locked it down and split the Driver apart, and the familiar calls of _CYCLONE! JOKER!_ and the trill of their transformation tune filled the cave as the half-green, half-black suit formed.  
  
Double’s right eye blinked as Philip said, fondly and surely: “I knew you’d be able to call me back, Shoutaro.”  
  
**七。Crosswalk**  
“Wait, Haruna-chan, the light is red!” Akiko yelped as she pulled her daughter back, right before a car zipped through the intersection. Had she not, Haruna would’ve been run over. “What did I tell you about looking at the sign and both ways before crossing?” the mother scolded. “I know you’re excited to see your uncles but be more mindful, okay?”  
  
Haruna bowed her head in contrition. “Sorry, mommy…”  
  
Akiko sighed and patted her head. “It’s okay. Let’s just wait for the light and go on, okay?”  
  
**八。Astral**  
Akiko knew it was probably just her imagination playing tricks on her, but she could almost feel the warmth of her father’s hand on her arm as she walked down the aisle. She wondered if he was proud of her, and happy that she finally understood why he was away for so long.  
  
She looked to her side of the room to see Shoutaro and Philip beaming in pride, and she smiled at her two brothers, before turning to her groom. Tears welled in her eyes as their gazes met, and she swore her father whispered as she took Ryu’s arm, _Take care of her for me, please._  
  
**九。Gray**  
Shoutaro’s favorite jacket had been destroyed in a scuffle with a Magma Dopant, much to the Rider’s horror- it had been the one he bought with his first salary working for Sokichi, and it was the one he was wearing when he met Philip- the one he was wearing when the Chief paid for his sins with his life. And it happened so close to his birthday, too.  
  
So of course Akiko bought him a new ensemble, complete with fedora, as a present- but in white, just like her father’s. It’s time he realized he’s earned the honor.  
  
**十。Letter**  
Akiko didn’t mean to, but she had seen what was written on Philip’s book- his final message to Shoutaro.  
  
_Please take care of the city I love,_ he had charged, _Kamen Rider Hidari Shoutaro. From your partner._  
  
And suddenly, it explained why Shoutaro started using the Lost Driver and the Joker Memory to keep fighting. To honor his partner’s final wish, Shoutaro took up the fight all on his own, just like her father did all those years ago. She just hoped it wouldn’t end up killing him too.  
  
**十一。Breakup**  
They’ve had squabbles over the months, but she was scared that this one would tear them apart for good. Hearing Shoutaro-kun speak in such a dejected voice, and Philip-kun being dismissive of his efforts- it was the final straw, and she tore Philip-kun a new one for trying to replace Shoutaro-kun with Ryu-kun.  
  
**十二。Dragon**  
Privately, she thought it’d been strange Shroud hadn’t taken Ryu’s name into account when she created his powerset. There had been other dragon-themed heroes before, after all- Kamen Rider Ryuki came to mind, for example. Not to mention, it seemed a little ridiculous that of all the things Shroud thought could fight against Terror’s _dragon-like_ headdress creature, it’d been a _motorcycle_.  
  
Now she had to deal with a pouting Ryu who had been quite jealous of the aforementioned Rider’s _dragon he rides into battle with._ (Not that she blamed him- riding a dragon into battle actually was pretty fucking cool.)  
  
**十三。Tenacious**  
“If you want to hurt my client, you’ll have to go through me!” Akiko yells, and the three Riders could only gape in awe as she proceeded to smack the Dopant into submission with her green rubber slipper.  
  
**十四。Staycation**  
She thought that after everything, she and the others could celebrate by going out of town to take a break. They’d check into an old-fashioned ryokan, play some table tennis, soak in an open-air bath, drink some fruity yoghurt and walk around town in yukata and geta.  
  
Instead, she had to swallow her grief as she and Ryu tried to hide Philip’s passing from everyone they knew and help Shoutaro get some semblance of normalcy back.  
  
**十五。Anonymous**  
Akiko’s eye twitched when her “secret admirer” struck once again, a postman bringing her a bouquet of red roses in full bloom at the Agency. She loudly swore that she would bash the idiot harassing her, for she only has eyes for her Ryu-kun (not noticing her husband flinch at the threat, then melt at her candid affection).  
  
**十六。Office**  
When she was pregnant, Ryu-kun, Shoutaro-kun and even Philip-kun stubbornly refused to let her out of their sight, for fear that something will happen to her and the baby when they weren’t there. So she was often stuck at the Agency, bored out of her mind- but she didn’t mind, because she understood their overprotectiveness. They weren't going to lose this new member of their family.  
  
**十七。Maybe**  
She dreamt that she had searched for her father earlier, only to find him dying in Shoutaro-kun’s arms, Philip-kun watching, frozen. He hands her the Lost Driver and Skull Memory, and tells them: “Make me proud.”  
  
**十八。Aficionado**  
Akiko rubbed at her eyes and yawned, switching off the TV as the credits rolled on the last episode. She got up, retrieving a blanket and throwing it over her boys, who’d stayed up watching with her, before tucking herself in between Ryu and Shoutaro and going to sleep.  
  
**十九。Zeitgeist**  
Akiko secretly balked at some of her father’s teachings, for they had caused Shoutaro-kun to embrace a rather old-fashioned- and dangerous- way of thinking. His need to maintain the hypermasculine and cool image her father perpetrated nearly got him killed, more than once. Even when it didn’t, it caused Shoutaro-kun to hide his pain and suffering needlessly, even from Philip-kun.  
  
**二十。Sexting**  
Akiko’s eyes widened when she saw the highly suggestive text he sent- supposedly just to Shoutaro- to the group chat for Kamen Riders. The replies that followed from seniors and juniors alike ranged from Gentaro’s confused “Sex kitaaaaaaaaaaaa?” to Tsukasa’s mocking “Damn ShoPhil kinky af” to Ryoutaro’s startled keysmash of “hjaskqhrig1nj?” and Eiji’s horrified “Oh my gosh, their room is next to mine!”  
  
**二十一。Azure**  
Akiko, being the traditionalist she was, was determined to follow the four rules that Western brides must follow. Her “something old” was the veil; it had been her mother’s when she married her father. Her “something new” was the dress; she’d pick it out on a day out with Philip. Her “something borrowed” was the handwritten note Sokichi left for Sam; it was folded and tucked into her lace glove. And her “something blue” is a little sapphire stone, a gift from Shoutaro to his sister in all but blood; she had it stitched into her dress, right over her heart.  
  
**二十二。Purgatory**  
Akiko wondered if her father stayed in Fuuto not because it needed saving, but because he himself needed salvation, and he thought that he could redeem himself by doing so. Every time, she whispered a silent prayer for his soul, telling him that he has no more sins to count up, and that he could rest in peace.  
  
**二十三。Ruins**  
The year Philip-kun was gone, Akiko accompanied him on his trips to the Island. Not to see the place where her dad died, but so Shoutaro-kun wouldn’t be alone in a place still haunted by his… and Philip-kun’s... ghosts.  
  
**二十四。Ronin**  
Akiko was scared for Ryu, because while she knew he would survive the war, she didn’t know if he would survive what came after. For what purpose would he have for Accel, if he already exacted his revenge, if he already succeeded in avenging his family? Would the words he throws to his foes come back to haunt him… would despair be waiting for him at the finish line?  
  
**二十五。Agony**  
She thought she knew pain when she realized her dream of her father walking her down the aisle was never coming true. But then Shoutaro-kun walked into Agency without Philip-kun, and that- that hurt even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um. That ending sucked. Ooops.
> 
> I'll make it up to you guys next week, promise!


	4. And Kentaro Made Triple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or how Shoutaro and Philip became fathers, through Ryu's eyes.

Now:  
Ryu couldn’t help the small smile on his face as he watched Hidari coo over his son, wiping his mouth off after a mishap with some apples. Philip laughed at them both, nearly choking on the piece of toast he was eating and almost sent Hidari’s flying through the air.  
  
It really was surprising how easily parenthood seemed to come to them. He and the Chief didn’t have nearly this easy of a time with Haruna-chan, though it might be that Kentaro was already a toddler (and a genius one at that) when Hidari and Philip rescued him. And maybe it was partially because the duo had already learnt not what to do from their own parents, as well as from their experiences with Haruna-chan and the Kiryuu kids.  
  
On the other hand, thinking of Hidari and Philip as fathers was rather strange. It seemed like yesterday that he started looking up the Agency’s personnel on Shroud’s orders, only to be startled to see Hidari listed as only being twenty-one, meaning he was only hatachi* when he and Philip first became Double. And Philip was practically a child when they met. Even though it really had been over a decade since then, the thought of Hidari and Philip being old enough to want kids- and actually having that kid- was still rather odd.  
  
He remembered, clearly, the day it all began. Up to that point, it’d been a normal day for everyone, or as normal as they could get in Fuuto. He’d been loitering at the Agency, having a rare day off, quietly sipping his coffee when…

* * *

Then:  
  
“!!!” Philip gasped, his eyes snapping open suddenly, his trance broken.  
  
“Philip?!” Hidari demanded, standing up from his seat to run by his partner’s side. “Something wrong, Philip?!”  
  
Philip, still heaving for breath, stared wide--eyed at his husband of eight years. Hidari rubbed a hand on his back soothingly to calm him down, which seemed to work because his pallor started to improve. “Shoutaro,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “There’s someone else in the Gaia Library. A little boy. He’s…” Philip’s lip quivered, his eyes filling up with unshed tears. “He said he doesn’t know who he is. He’s scared and lonely and...”  
  
Hidari pulled him into a hug, making shushing noises as Philip broke down, the reminder of his own circumstances overwhelming him. During all of this, Sento and Ryuuga were gaping at each other in confusion while the Chief gave him a horrified look, mouthing _There’s someone else out there like Philip-kun?!_

* * *

After Philip calmed down, he returned to the Library to demand his answers from Gaia. When he came back, all he had to offer was the coordinates of where the child was being held… by Foundation X.  
  
Hidari was pissed. Ryu had never seen him so angry since he’d known him, and it was a little frightening to see how methodically he planned the rescue of Kentaro. And Hidari didn’t hesitate to call up every Rider he was allied with, knowing that none of them would turn down the mission of rescuing a little boy. By the end of the day, he practically had an army of Riders readying to storm the castle with him.  
  
And storm the castle they did. Foundation X was caught off guard, not realizing how deeply they underestimated Hidari and Philip. It was quite satisfying to see the surprise in their faces when they emerged out of the dimensional shift Decade summoned, then the horror when Fourze lead the charge, rocket-powered-fist-first.  
  
After leaving the mooks for their seniors and juniors to handle, Ryu accompanied Hidari and Philip to the room where the poor boy was held captive. Hidari didn’t hesitate to throw the man guarding the boy into a wall, and through it, knocking him out instantly. Philip shattered the crystal imprisoning the child and Double caught him as he fell out, unconscious.  
  
(Philip later explained what the cocoon-like thing was, and it made him physically sick at what it had done to Kentaro and Philip.)  
  
After they rescued Kentaro, they returned to their comrades to find them having defeated all the mooks and captured the head officers of the Foundation. Drive was tying them up with zip ties with Mach and Chaser assisting, while Fourze’s second Meteor- who he recalled was an Interpol agent- dutifully recited the charges that will be brought up against the Foundation.  
  
That had been a few days ago. Kentaro was now happily living with Hidari and Philip, who formally adopted him after the police failed to find a missing persons notice that matched Kentaro’s description. (The implications of this was deeply disturbing, even more than what the Sonozaki family did to Philip.) The court granted the request immediately, because by this point Hidari and Philip being Double was apparently common knowledge. (“No one would be stupid enough to think that a Kamen Rider known for being protective of kids would be a bad parent,” was the judge’s wry remark.)  
  
So, there he was, watching the half-boiled detective turn into complete goop as Kentaro went “Dada! Papa! Mo’ appie pwease!” His adorable lisp only added to the cuteness factor. Hidari beamed, picking up another chunk of apple to feed his son, Philip sitting down next to them and handing his husband his breakfast.  
  
Ryu was really happy for both of them. After everything they’ve been through, they deserved this. The family they’ve always wanted. A child they could pour all their love into. A treasure all their own.  
  
Silently, he swore an oath. He will not let any harm come to this family. Those who hurt them will face his wrath. He will protect them to his last breath.  
  
It was the least he could do for his brothers-in-arms, and brothers of heart.

"Hey Terui," Hidari called, looking away from Kentaro for the the first time in a while. "No... I mean... Ryu." 

This caught his attention. Hidari never called him anything other than his last name, not even after all this time, so this was quite strange. "Yeah?" 

Hidari hesitated for a moment, but as always, his partner was one step ahead of him. "We're asking if it's okay for you to be Kentaro's godfather," Philip said, smiling gently at him. Hidari sighed at his partner's rushing, but his face was soft and fond- it takes Ryu a moment to realize that some of that was for him, too. 

Ryu felt his chest tighten with emotions he couldn't even name. And all he could say was one thing-

"Do not ask me any questions."

(He knew that they knew what he really meant.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hatachi- the special term for the age 20.
> 
> Yup, Kentaro is like Philip- he's a data human who can access the Gaia Library. Also, he's quite a bit younger than Raito was when he died. His lack of memories and identity came from the fact that he died and was kidnapped before any could form. That's also how he came to succeed Philip as the "Soul" half of W.
> 
> And yes, I also refuse to believe that W and Accel's identities are still a secret in Fuuto. Seriously, these two transform in front of clients so often it might as well be a meme... not to mention Shou's very distinct bike is just parked outside the Agency.
> 
> Also, I'm so sorry for that lame pun of a title.


	5. Narumi Detective Agency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third installment of the word series: twenty-five words about a detective, his partner, their boss, the policeman and family they form together

**I. Consigliere**

The couple gave each other a look as they watched Philip pace around the Garage, rambling about the possibility that his love for Shoutaro were unrequited. Just a few days ago, Shoutaro had done the same thing, and they had to tell him to calm down and suck it up. They probably had to repeat the advice to Philip now…  
  
**II. Growling**  
The three of them barely contained their anger as Shoutaro’s mother, who’d come out of nowhere, barged into the Agency, criticizing everything from the decor to Ryu’s coffee, before demanding that her son return home to the manor (what?) at once.  
  
However, Shoutaro had been the first to snap, when she practically ordered him to break things off with Philip: he stood up so quickly that his seat collided with the wall with a loud clatter, and he coldly ordered his mother to get out and never return, or even contact him again.  
  
**III. Loyalty**  
As much as Fuuto loves its Kamen Riders, they love the Narumi Detective Agency even more. That is why, even after all these years and all the people they’ve helped, the Riders’ true identities have not leaked at all.  
  
**IV. Chalkboard**  
They realized why Shoutaro had gotten whiteboards for Philip’s hideaway one day, when they had a case involving the Sudo siblings’ beloved nursery (protecting it in their stead, now that neither could).  
  
They arrived right before the kids were about to go home, in the middle of their afternoon clean-up time. Philip saw a young girl tapping the erasers together outside the window, and of course he’d wanted to try it too.  
  
Needless to say, all four of them wound up going home covered in chalk dust from head to toe, for Philip had not taken care to smack the erasers outside and did it before they could stop him.  
  
**V. Floral**  
The couple shared a hearty laugh at Shoutaro’s most recent post on his blog: a photo of him and Philip, wearing purple and green (of course) Hawaiian shirts and leis around their necks, and holding cocktails as they sunbathed on the white-sand beach of Kyushu. “#Kyushu is awesome, wish you were all here! #ShoPhil #honeymoon #being on the beach is so refreshing #especially when you’re with your handsome hubby”  
  
**VI. Summer**  
They all agreed that their kids would be spending their vacations shadowing them while they work cases, in the hopes that one day they will take up the task of protecting their beloved city, one way or another.  
  
**VII. Melody**  
On Wednesdays, Wind Wave had its “Retro Radio Hour” when listeners can send in requests for old songs to be played. Guess which one makes them all freeze in place when the first few notes play?  
  
**VIII. Worship**  
There wasn’t a kid in Fuuto that didn’t grow up hearing tales of the Kamen Rider, be it the mysterious Skull with his cool white hat and tattered scarf, or Double’s various forms and dual-toned voice, or Accel and his odd ability to turn into a bike.  
  
Not every kid in Fuuto got to say they were a Kamen Rider’s son. Or a Kamen Rider’s granddaughter and another’s daughter. And certainly not that they eventually became a Kamen Rider, too.  
  
(But they can.)  
  
**IX. Billowy**  
Ryu and Akiko watched in relief and awe as Double stood slowly, recovering from executing their finisher. Philip asked his left half, “You haven’t forgotten the catchphrase, have you, Shoutaro?”  
  
Shoutaro chuckled as he replied, “Of course not, Philip. The villains who make this city cry will forever hear these words from us….”  
  
With the Windy Stabilizer fluttering in Fuuto’s breeze, they flicked their left wrist, and proclaimed, in unison once more: “SO… COUNT UP YOUR CRIMES!”  
  
**X. Protégé**  
Much like how Narumi Sokichi took him in, Shoutaro took in Aoyama Akira as his apprentice, teaching him the ropes of becoming a detective. Everyone had to admit that he was doing a good job of guiding the young boy, maybe an even better job than Sokichi did with him. Surprisingly, (surrogate) fatherhood suited him quite well.  
  
**XI. Obsession**  
They all had their vices: Shoutaro with his need for perfection, Philip with his gluttony for knowledge, Akiko with her desire for attention, Ryu with his fixation on revenge. But as long as they rein each other in, they’re okay.  
  
**XII. Bland**  
With Museum’s fall and Foundation X being put on an international watchlist (thanks to one Sakuta Ryusei, Kamen Rider turned Interpol agent), the Dopant threat was slowly but surely getting cleaned up. That didn’t mean their days got boring, though. It seemed that all the regular, non-monstrous criminals made their way out of the woodwork, and they all had their work cut out for them even though Double and Accel rarely made an appearance anymore.  
  
**XIII. Jeggings**  
Akiko, Queen and Elizabeth all had to suppress their giggles as the three men stepped out of the Garage, looking disgruntled; the client, a fashion designer employed by Windscale, clapped her hands in delight and said they all looked good in her ungodly tight, form-fitting dark wash ripped jeans. Philip thanked her, politely but coldly; Ryu grunted out his gratitude, and Shoutaro looked ready to die of embarrassment.  
  
**XIV. Precognition**  
Nothing pissed Shoutaro off more than a miscarriage of justice, and he damn near charged at the greasy defense attorney who’d been cross-examining his client, who was steadily growing pale as he continued pressuring her into answering a question that would publicly damn her and surely make the jury side with the accused.  
  
“Calm down, Shoutaro,” Philip replied, as Ryu and Akiko held him down. “The evidence will speak for itself. He will not get away with this easily.”  
  
**XV. Origami**  
The kids had given them the papercrafts, which they proudly display on various surfaces: Shoutaro had a 3D egg wearing a miniature fedora on his desk; Philip had the paper versions of Fang and Mikku sitting on the ledge of his whiteboard; Akiko’s slipper and takoyaki sat on her vanity at home, and Ryu’s dragon and coffee cup were on his desk at work.  
  
**XVI. Sentimental**  
Every year after Philip came back, they took a comical photo of themselves with the Batshot, just like the year Akiko came, just before Ryu joined them. They were all proudly displayed on the Agency’s mantle.  
  
**XVII. Refuge**  
The Narumi Detective Agency was tucked away in a quiet, unassuming neighborhood of Fuuto, filled out mostly by ma-and-pa shops and apartment buildings. Yet, it should say something that this was where Narumi Sokichi chose to establish the Agency and begin his crusade.  
  
**XVIII. Frenemies**  
Philip and Ryu chuckled as they watched Akiko and Shoutaro squabble once again, this time over the website Akiko had created to advertise the Agency. Akiko had wanted to spend some money having it updated to have more features; but Shoutaro was insistent that it was not needed, not with their reputation nowadays. It was amazing that these two even got along at all, sometimes.  
  
**XIX. Daffodil**  
“Thank you, Kamen Rider!” The young children said in chorus, offering the flowers to the hero (really two) for whom the ceremony was dedicated to.  
  
Beneath the helmet, Shoutaro flushed in embarrassment, in spite of Philip chuckling inside his head. Down in the crowd, he spotted Akiko happily snapping photos and Ryu smiling in pride. He gently swatted at Philip in their shared mindscape as he accepted the flowers from the kids. The crowd roared in cheers, and even Philip was overwhelmed by their city’s gratitude.  
  
**XX. Dizzying**  
Ryu, Philip and Shoutaro dry-heaved as they struggled to regain their composure, amazed that Akiko was able to still see straight at all, let alone run around the theme park energetically. While they had gotten nauseous enough to start bowing out of all the adrenaline rush-inducing rides, the Chief somehow managed to go on the carousel twice, the drop tower thrice, and the truly-vomit inducing rollercoaster with its twenty-storey drop four times.  
  
**XXI. Shadow**  
The Chief’s legacy was a heavy one, he must admit. The weight of an entire city’s hopes and dreams on his shoulders, and he was barely even of age. How could he even cope?  
  
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm, and he looked up to see Philip smiling at him. A light smack on his shoulder, and there was Akiko with her ever-present slipper. A light tap on his back, and there was Ryu, with a determined smirk on his lips.  
  
Shoutaro adjusted his hat, and grinned triumphantly. “Let’s go, everyone!”  
  
**XXII. Petal**  
Flower viewing was an annual activity enjoyed by all, and they were no different from everyone else.  
  
They managed to snag one of the best viewing spots by the river, where a giant cherry tree was in full bloom just across the water. A light breeze blew the scent across to them, along with the gurgle of the flowing river, the refreshing smell and sound of spring.  
  
Ryu poured out the sake, and Shoutaro brought out the tea and sweets, and they sat back and relaxed to enjoy a beautiful spring day in each other’s company.  
  
**XXIII. Clique**  
Their family wasn’t just the four of them- turned five when Haruna was born, then six when Kentaro was adopted. It was Jinno and Makki, who watch Ryu’s back in their own bumbling way; and Queen and Elizabeth, who let Akiko vent when she’s overwhelmed by testosterone; and Watcherman and Santa-chan, who give Shoutaro solid leads every time; and the Sonozaki family, who gave Philip back to them.  
  
**XXIV. Winter**  
The Snowball Fight of 2018 will go down as the most embarrassing in the history of all snowball fights, mainly because innocent Haruna yanked her Uncle Shou’s pants down and revealed his Fuuto-kun printed underwear for all to see, stuffing that full of snow and prancing away gleefully as a pantsless Shoutaro screamed “COLD!”  
  
**XXV. BFF**  
None of them liked each other at the start. But time passed, and their bonds were forged in fire and blood, in Dopant battles and lost pet cases, in the tragedy of their losses and the joy of their triumphs. Slowly, but surely, they came together, an unbreakable chain, tied together by more than a mission to stop monster attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to make this clear but I wrote this before I found out Renn went to Okinawa on his Insta (aka the Cat Whisperer post). But I swear I’m not a psychic, people.


	6. W

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-five words on W, their partnership, and their love.

**1 st Shaman**  
“Philip, Dopant!” he cried out as the suspect used his Memory to transform, and used his magic-like abilities to summon ghastly apparitions that he had to swat away. In an instant, Cyclone appeared in the right slot and Shoutaro followed suit with Joker.  
  
**2 nd Doppelgänger**  
Another Dummy Dopant was wreaking havoc in the city, gleefully wrecking relationships with his ability to copy the people in them and make them think the other was cheating on them. His ruse was revealed when he had the gall to copy Shoutaro and flirt with every woman he saw, not knowing that the entire town knew Shoutaro only had eyes for his partner (and not to mention was very, _very_ gay).  
  
**3 rd Sunglasses**  
They’d rented a car- a shiny, red convertible, top down of course- and went for a drive by the sea. Philip thought Shoutaro looked amazing, with his hair in beachy waves from their swim, a pair of Ray-bans on his face, and an open button down and the deep neckline of his undershirt showing off the glow of his new tan. Even though the scenery around them was picturesque, he only had eyes for this beautiful man who he somehow caught in his grasp, who somehow caught him in his and will never let go.  
  
**4 th Hum**  
Philip first learned of Wakana through Shoutaro: they’d been cleaning out the Garage so Philip can use it as a combined workspace and bedroom, and he’d heard the man humming the tune as they worked. It was the first time he’d heard anything close to music, and it had captivated him.  
  
Philip asked him about the song, and from there, he’d learned about the Healing Princess radio show, which eventually lead to their meeting. So, in a way, Philip owed getting to know his own sister to Shoutaro.  
  
**5 th Sniff**  
It was only in the privacy of their home that Shoutaro allowed himself to break- he threw himself at Philip once more, not with a joyous laugh in his throat, but a pained sob.  
  
Philip, this time, said nothing of how half-boiled Shoutaro was being; in fact, Philip could feel his own eyes well up with tears, and all he could do was hang on tightly to his partner as they both cried, letting out a year’s worth of grief and suffering at being torn so violently and suddenly apart.  
  
**6 th Warmth**  
It was ironic that Philip was the wielder of the Heat Memory, as opposed to Shoutaro. Before, all he had was cold, detached logic and the objective knowledge of the Library. But Shoutaro was like the sun, his warmth melting the ice around him, and suffusing Philip with passion, compassion, righteous anger, and affection- and love.  
  
**7 th Prophecy**  
Philip knew he was living on borrowed time, having died when he was just a kid, long before their paths had even crossed. He knew it had only gotten shorter when his data started disintegrating after its retrieval from within Wakana. And worst of all, he knew that his partner- his half-boiled partner, who he loved with every byte that made up his body and soul- would have to watch him… _die…_ the next time they transformed into Double.  
  
He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to leave his partner. Not like this.  
  
For once in his life, the Child of Fate wanted to _defy_ his fate.  
  
**8 th Microphone**  
It really was quite amusing that for all his claims of being hard-boiled, Shoutaro was shameless about his hobby of karaoke, especially once you’d gotten a few (alcoholic) drinks in him. Especially then, because once he got tipsy, he liked hogging the mic, and his song choices got a little… sentimental.  
  
Still, Philip was quite embarrassed when Queen and Elizabeth egged him on to sing Elvis Presley’s _Can’t Help Falling in Love_ \- dedicated to _him,_ of course. It was lucky that Shoutaro had such a lovely voice even though he’d been absolutely smashed. (And Philip will deny swooning, despite video evidence to the contrary.)  
  
**9 th Key**  
“Keywords,” Philip whispered into the Gaia Library, “Hidari Shoutaro.” The Library responded to his search, shelves shuffling away until only three remained in front of him.  
  
He hesitated on the second word for a moment. “Sonozaki Raito.” Once more, the Library culled away the unrelated books, and only a few remained on a single shelf in front of him. He perused the titles for a moment, not surprised to see his book, along with Shoutaro’s, Terui Ryu’s and Aki-chan’s.  
  
He took a deep breath and uttered the last keyword. This one was the one he was least sure of. “Love.”  
  
**10 th Beauty**  
It wasn’t just that Philip looked pretty, even though he was the prettiest boy Shoutaro’s ever seen.  
  
It wasn’t that Philip was smart, either, for Shoutaro was sure he was the smartest person on the whole damned planet.  
  
And it wasn’t that Philip was kind, gentle, heroic and just an overall good person, because Philip had learned that from _him_.  
  
It was that Philip was all of these things, and so much more, that the detective had no choice but to fall head over heels in love with his partner.  
  
**11 th Epic**  
The Gaia Library remembered the most important things, or so he once thought. As it turns out, while the things it remembers are _important_ , it never remembers the things that _mattered._  
  
It won’t remember this moment: a spontaneous dance, in the middle of the town square, as a quartet of high school students play a slow waltz. Shoutaro had plucked a flower from a bush and tucked it behind his ear, and when he lead him into a turn, he suavely kissed him, slow and sweet, Philip’s toes curling in his shoes.  
  
The Library won’t remember, but Philip will. He will treasure this moment in his heart for as long as he lives.  
  
**12 th Confusing**  
The poor Shocker mook couldn’t make heads or tails of what happened: Double switched out his green Memory for a yellow one, and suddenly his limbs could stretch like he was made of rubber?!  
  
**13 th Milieu**  
Shoutaro almost never spoke of his childhood, of his life before meeting Narumi Sokichi. Philip, against his better judgement, snuck a peek at his book, only to cry out in horror at seeing the emotional pain and abuse his partner went through. He never asked again.  
  
**14 th Innocence**  
In retrospect, it shouldn’t have taken that long for their romantic relationship to become physical, but when it finally happened, they both wondered why the hell they waited so long to take each other like this.  
  
**15 th Elation**  
Nothing made them both happier than finally, properly reconciling in the privacy of their home, away from snooping chiefs and police detectives and innocent eyes they might traumatize with their embrace.  
  
**16 th Murmur**  
Philip stopped scribbling at his board when he heard Shoutaro whisper _that_ again- it was in a foreign language, one he did not recognize off the bat. Shoutaro had always refused to translate it for him, telling him that one day he’ll figure it out for himself.  
  
He’d wanted so badly to just look it up in the Library, but something told him it would’ve been wrong to- that Shoutaro would be disappointed in him if he did. So he went back to his current research, letting Shoutaro’s mumbling of _Mahal kita, mahal kita_ wash over him as he wrote out his findings.

(He found out, much much later, that Shoutaro was saying _I love you, I love you,_ all that time.)  
  
**17 th Nostalgic**  
Shoutaro and Philip couldn’t help but feel wistful as they step forward, placing themselves between the Foundation X goons and their kouhai. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Philip says for them both. “How thrilling.”  
  
**18 th Spotted**  
Kentaro grinned, making sure he wasn’t heard as he snuck up on his Papa, who was looking out from behind a tree, not paying attention to his own back. He pulled his arm back and launched the snowball, the icy projectile making a satisfying crunching noise when it struck his back. Philip yelped, then turned around to find his child laughing at him, and he ignored trying to find Shoutaro in favor of chasing around his shrieking son.  
  
**19 th Heartland**  
Tokyo may be Japan’s capital, but for them, Fuuto might as well be the center of the world. It is where they were born (and re-born, in Philip’s case), it is where they know they will die, and it is where the most important thing- their partnership- began.  
  
**20 th Heaven**  
They laid together, panting as their breaths tried to return to a normal rhythm. Shoutaro placed a gentle kiss into his hair, and Philip pressed his lips on his chest, right over his hammering heart. Their gazes caught, and Shoutaro smiled widely as he confessed, huskily, “I love you.”  
  
**21 st Synth-pop**  
They barely listened to the radio anymore, not only because the music played these days wasn’t to their liking- mostly, it’s because it reminded them of a seemingly sweet, young woman whose voice used to be the highlight of their day, and who had given her life to return her younger brother to the people who truly cared for him- his real family.  
  
**22 nd Workaholic**  
Philip watched, hidden in the Xtreme Memory, as Shoutaro threw himself into work, work and more work to try and get on with his life. Philip didn’t know what to feel most sad about- that Shoutaro was clearly working himself into exhaustion, or that Shoutaro was hurting so much from the loss of him that he felt this was the only way he could move on from him...  
  
Or that Shoutaro wanted to move on from him at all.  
  
**23 rd Monotony**  
Philip grinned as he whispered the results of his latest lookup to him, who started to blush brightly as his words got to him. Shoutaro squirmed in his seat as the little devil told him, in excruciating detail, how he intends to have Shoutaro screaming his name and begging for more by the end of the night.  
  
**24 th Photograph**  
After dealing with Foundation X’s Len Kannagi, the four Riders met up to debrief each other, before going on their separate ways. Gentaro had begged to take a picture with them as a memento, and so he can brag to friends about the new buds he made- his three  
  
“I still can’t get over that,” Shoutaro whispered to Philip as Gentaro enthusiastically handed his phone to Eiji. “We’re _veterans_. We’re old, Philip. We’ve been left behind by the youngsters.”  
  
“Oh, shut up, you overdramatic egg,” Philip sighed, smiling as Eiji counted down, and the shutter sounded.  
  
**25 th Overcome**

Together, they could do anything… because they’re two detectives in one Kamen Rider. They are Double. They are unstoppable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The phrase Shou was saying in 16th is _I love you_ in Filipino, my native language. Why does Shou know it? Because I want him to, of course. And I may or may not imagine Renn-san saying that to me. 
> 
> And yes, of course Shoutaro would complain about being a “veteran”. He’s the eldest of the four Heisei Riders in _Megamax_ and technically has been a Rider long than even Philip (because of that year he was solo as Joker).


	7. At Last (It's About Fucking Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akiko helps Shoutaro get ready for his long-coming wedding, reminiscing on the moment he first tells her how he felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Zi-O’s not bringing anyone back from W’s main cast 🤷🏻♀️ Or from Kuuga’s for that matter.
> 
> AND WHAT THE FUCK DID THEY DO TO POOR CHASE.
> 
> I am NOT OKAY with this

2015  
Akiko couldn’t help the tears that sprung onto her face as Shoutaro-kun stepped out of her husband's SUV, clad in the three-piece suit she had picked out for him. “Shoutaro-kun, you look so good!”  
  
Shoutaro-kun smiled as he flattened his tie against his chest. “You think so?” he asked nervously, carding his hands through his hair, which for the day was straightened and combed down.  
  
“Sure you do!” she chirped. She swatted away his hands and returned the tuft of hair he was fiddling with to its place.  
  
“You’ve got the ring, right?”  
  
“Yes, I do,” she replied patiently, fishing the piece of jewelry out of her dress pocket. It was a simple silver wedding band, nothing flashy- the only thing of note was the engraved 相棒 (partner) on the underside. She made a show of putting it back into the pocket and pressing her dress down so the ring’s form would be shown through it.  
  
“Good,” Shoutaro-kun mumbled, almost to himself. “God, how much longer do we have to wait?” He groaned.  
  
“Excited, are we?” Akiko teased, nudging the groom to turn. She picked up his boutonniere (violet and lavender roses, for 'lasting love' and 'love at first sight') from where she gently put it down and started fixing it to his suit.  
  
“Yeah, I am,” he admitted, smiling. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time now, Akiko. Waiting for him to make me his, forever.”  
  
“I know,” she said. Akiko’s heart swelled with pride when she heard Shoutaro-kun refer to himself as Philip-kun’s, rather than the other way around. This selfless, half-boiled man she had come to love as her brother… “I’m so happy for you two, Shoutaro-kun.”  
  
Akiko felt herself blush when Shoutaro-kun pressed a platonic kiss on her forehead. “Thanks, Akiko,” he said gratefully and sincerely. He was never that blatantly affectionate with her, despite his half-boiled nature.  
  
Just as she finished affixing his boutonniere to his chest, the melody of an orchestral arrangement of Wakana’s single, ‘Naturally’, started to play on a tinny radio they brought along. Shoutaro-kun took a deep breath, then exhaled before offering his arm out to his escort. “Shall we?” he asked.  
  
Akiko grinned at him and took his arm, picking up her small bouquet of roses with her other hand. “Let’s get you married, Shoutaro-kun.” 

* * *

2010  
“I love him you know? Still do.”  
  
“Yeah, Shoutaro-kun…” Akiko answered softly. “I know. I do too.”  
  
“Not like I do, Akiko.” Shoutaro-kun replied brokenly. “I _love_ him _._ ” He buried his face in his hands… and sobbed.  
  
Akiko turned to Ryu-kun, who was equally surprised by Shoutaro-kun’s confession. She knew Shoutaro-kun cared for Philip-kun deeply, as his partner and best friend. Akiko had always thought that his affection for Philip-kun was platonic. Brotherly.  
  
But… Shoutaro-kun didn’t just love Philip-kun as family, or as partners.  
  
He was in love with Philip-kun.  
  
Is in love with Philip-kun, even though… Philip-kun was gone.  
  
“Shoutaro-kun,” she choked out, around the lump in her throat. ‘I didn’t hear anything about this!’ she tried to say, but she couldn’t even get the words out, in her shock… and increasing horror as she realized the full implications of his feelings towards Philip-kun.  
  
(Why he had resisted transforming after Philip-kun revealed that the next would be the last. Why he’d gotten so angry when Philip-kun said his death was inevitable. Why Shoutaro-kun looked completely destroyed after…  
  
..After he watched Philip-kun die…)  
  
All she wanted to do was throw her arms around Shoutaro-kun, and take away all the pain he was enduring by himself. But all she- and Ryu-kun- could do was put him in the bed in the corner when he had cried himself to sleep, and get some food ready to help with his hangover when he woke up.  
  
She looked over to the butsudan where her father’s and Philip-kun’s photos were. While Ryu-kun took some bacon out from the fridge, she closed her tearing eyes and prayed.  
  
_Philip-kun... Otou-san… Please look over him…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, I did the Phidari wedding. I'm surprised it took me this long to do it.
> 
> And of course I put in some angst there. Of course.


	8. Ryu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-five more sentences, this time about the original bikeman himself!

**Accel/Chopsticks**  
“Here, Ryu-kun,” the Chief said, and he opened his mouth to bite into the offered piece of omelette. He still hadn’t recovered from the beating he took fighting Utopia, and he had to rely on the Chief for all his needs, even something as simple as feeding himself.  
  
Across the table from him was Hidari, nibbling at his own piece of egg timidly, eyes blank. And Ryu sighed heavily; as much as he was frustrated about his helpless state, he was still more worried about Hidari.  
  
**Beast/Tingling**  
The Agency’s door closed behind the Chief, the lock and deadbolt clicking into place. Ryu walked back to Diabolossa in a daze, his heart hammering and skipping as his cheeks warmed.  
  
He found himself reaching for his cheek, where the Chief had pressed a good night kiss- their first kiss- just moments before. His jaw slowly dropped as the full implications hit him, and he had to cover his mouth to hide the ecstatic laugh that threatened to wake the entire neighborhood.  
  
**Cyclone/Starving**  
Ryu would never admit it, but he’d been craving for some kind of affection, ever since his first family was lost. But he kept denying himself of it, as penance: he believed that because he had failed his parents and his sister, he didn’t deserve it, and he feared losing it once more. But everyone- Hidari, and the Chief, and Philip- they just gave it because they _wanted to._  
  
**Dummy/Rivendell**  
Philip would spend hours reading books about anything and everything in the Gaia Library, and Shoutaro (and the old Chief) would use his free time to read Doyle and Chandler novels, while the Chief would curl up with a magazine or two whenever business was slow at the Agency.  
  
Ryu, on the other hand, secretly favored fantasy novels. He’d read all of the _Harry Potter_ series, and was currently making his way through the _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ But his favorite will always be Tolkien, and he’d made it a point to re-read _The Simarillion, The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ every year.  
  
**Engine/Quiet**  
The silence was broken by a sob, and he turned (wincing, his mummified body still hurting at the slightest motions) to see Hidari breaking down, clutching Philip’s book to his chest. He and the Chief could do nothing but helplessly watch as Hidari- once again- cried out for Philip: his lost partner, his other half, and the love of his life, all at once.  
  
**Fang/Superhero**  
It was a weird story, to be sure, but Shoutaro and Philip weren’t the kind to make up such wild stories, and the fact it’d been corroborated by Eiji, Sento and Ryuuga told him that it was the truth: there really was a world where the Kamen Riders were nothing more than fiction, men in rubber suits fighting other men in rubber suits for a kid’s show. They were nothing more than characters in a writer’s imagination, portrayed by actors and stuntmen playing out scripts and choreography, and _what_ _why were people thinking Philip should have fucking stayed dead?!_  
  
**Gene/Smooth**  
Ryu knew he was not the most suave man in the world, not when he can barely even talk to a woman that wasn’t his wife without melting down into a nervous pile of goop.  
  
Still, even Makura winced when he screamed “Do not ask me questions!” at the confused witness who didn’t do anything that can be construed as a flirt- she’d just given the customary thank-you gift of a basket of fruits, which wasn’t even addressed to him but rather to the entire department.  
  
**Hopper/Sacrifice**  
“...It’s an Aramaic phrase,” explained Philip, scribbling on his board, “a verse from the Christian holy text- John, chapter fifteen, verse thirteen, to be precise. The story goes…”  
  
Ryu had stared at Philip when he translated the phrase he’d given, and so did Shoutaro and Akiko; Philip himself didn’t seem to notice what he had just said, and how fitting it was to describe what he had done, that fateful day.  
  
_There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends._  
  
**Ice Age/Flannel**  
“Since when did you start wearing _flannel_ , Hidari? That’s hardly your usual hard-boiled style.”  
  
Shoutaro rolled his eyes at the tease but indulged him, because he was a good friend like that. “It’s Philip’s,” he replied, “We lend each other clothes all the time here at home. You just happened to drop by, _unannounced_ ,” he emphasized the last word. “What are you even doing here on a Sunday morning, Terui?”  
  
“The Chief’s pregnant,” he blurted out, and Shoutaro dropped the spoon he was using to eat his breakfast cereal as his eyes widened in shock. “I’m going to be a dad, Hidari. You’re the first one to know.”  
  
**Jet/Care**  
When he learns Mach was going on his sabbatical-to-revive-Chase thing, he drops everything to see him off before he leaves Japan and gives him his number- just in case.  
  
**Kirifuda/Music**  
Really, it shouldn’t have surprised him, since there were lots of Kamen Riders with some pretty odd themes. He remembered Gentaro telling him about a Rider who used literal magic; Shinnosuke had told him tales of a space god predecessor and a ghost kid successor, and Shoutaro rambled on and on about the turtle whisperer whose motif was a _banana,_ of all things- but somehow a Kamen Rider with a _rhythm game themed power up_ sounded way too ridiculous even to him.  
  
**Luna/Curls**  
Ryu didn’t know how it happened, but one day he looked at Hidari and was surprised to see his hair wavy, rather than sleek, straightened style he had when they once met.  
  
“Oh, that?” he had said when asked. “I used to get it straightened, but I hadn’t had the time, and to be honest I don’t really want to bother anymore.” In a lower tone, Shoutaro added, with a hint of rose in his cheeks: “And Philip likes me with wavy hair better.” Ryu chuckled, because of course.  
  
**Memory/Schmooze**  
Ryu hated it when women tried to butter him up, not only because he had no idea how to respond to girls throwing themselves at him, but also because he really hated fakers, too. Akiko was the exception, though he knew for certain that her affection was real- because she was also not afraid to call him out when he was in the wrong.  
  
**Nasca/Chillax**  
Makki raised his hand in surrender as the captain turned abruptly and glared at him, before blinking and shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Makura,” he apologized sincerely, rubbing his hand over his face.  
  
The junior detective waved it off and left his report on the desk before returning to his station. Ryu envied the man for how easygoing he could be; then again, he wasn’t the one fighting Dopants on his lunch break.  
  
**Old/Rogue**  
Ryu will deny yelping when he saw the prime minister’s son- who he was supposed to be protecting- pull out a Driver and transform into a Kamen Rider. Why did he need a police escort if he was, apparently, more than capable of defending himself if necessary?  
  
**Prism/Abacus**  
Ryu blinked as he stepped into the Agency, only to be greeted with the sight of a frustrated Shoutaro, a bewildered Akiko, and Philip as he always was- and hundreds of kinds of counting machines, from the ancient to the contemporary. “He’s still researching counting methods?” he asked, and Shoutaro nodded, bemused.  
  
**Queen/Gung-ho**  
Before everything- Weather, Accel, Double and his family’s deaths- Ryu was a pretty excitable guy, eager to learn and please, and he took to everything like a duck to water. After, though, he had lost all enthusiasm for everything except his vengeance. Until _them_.  
  
**Rocket/Hybrid**  
The kids, he thought, had the best of all of them combined. His Haruna had his cunning tempered by Hidari’s kindness, the Chief’s excitability mellowed by Philip’s forethought. Kentaro had his Dad’s soft heart backed by his Papa’s core of steel, and his aunt’s fiery passion softened by having a cool head just like his uncle. And of course, both had inherited the previous Chief’s will to protect Fuuto from those who would hurt it.  
  
So why were they all freaking out when Haruna, then Kentaro, eventually asked to be trained as their successors to the mantle of Kamen Rider?  
  
**Skull/Metropolis**  
Fuuto was by no means a tiny suburban village- it is right next to Tokyo, after all- but it somehow retained a small-town charm that its neighboring city did not. Maybe it’s the way the city embraces the wind it’s blessed with, or how everyone seems to know everyone else, but Ryu came to love the city that Hidari adored.  
  
**Trial/Reunion**  
Ryu laughs, for the first time in a year, when Hidari lets loose a scream and throws himself at a resurrected Philip, and the Chief throws her arms around him as she too giggles in glee. Things have finally gone right.  
  
**Utopia/Sunset**  
He was thankful it had grown dark enough that the Chief couldn’t see the warmth on his cheeks- for he did know the legend of Fuuto Tower, and he too hoped that it would help him close the distance between them.  
  
**Violence/Outside**  
Ryu, like the pair that made up Double, rarely strayed from his hometown. But this time, he did... for a wedding reception- Kamen Rider Drive’s, to be exact. It felt almost wrong to not be in Fuuto, but he shook off his doubts, for the sake of his junior, and because he trusted Shoutaro and Philip to protect their home in his stead.  
  
**Xtreme/Bromance**  
The anger Akiko and Philip felt when they saw their respective partners completely smashed instantly evaporated when they heard their drunken exchange of “Ya know, I really love ya, bro!” and “I love you more, bro!” The pair was so embarrassed when they heard the recording after they had sobered up, their cheeks matched Ryu’s bright red leather jacket.  
  
**Yesterday/Laughter**  
When he saw Philip- the Child of Fate- dressed in that stupid puppy onesie, he had to resist grinning because god, that’s probably something Haruko might do.  
  
**Zone/Passion**  
Ryu realizes, later on, what drives Hidari to protect Fuuto and all her people, even the ones who don’t seem worth it. Much later on, he admits that somewhere inside him, it’s the same for him.


	9. Shoutaro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And for the final installment of the word series, twenty-five words about everyone's beloved half-boiled detective!

**25 Blush**  
“You are my one and only partner.”  
  
Shoutaro didn’t understand how a simple line like that set his cheeks aflame, his heart skipping beats.  
  
He, of course, felt grateful that Philip had expressed such a sentiment, and he was certain he felt the same. Philip was his irreplaceable partner, his other half. He couldn’t imagine a life without Philip in it, and-  
  
_Oh_. The fire in his cheeks heated even more when he made the realization.  
  
He was in love with his partner.

 _Fuck_.  
  
**24 Ritual**  
Shoutaro tried to settle into a new, post-Philip normal, but old habits died hard, even a year after the fact.  
  
It was almost ridiculous, really- Philip had only been in his life for two years, and yet so much had changed in that short time that now, he barely remembered what normal was before. He’d gotten used to sharing his space- and his body- with someone else that it now felt terribly lonely to be in his own head. Even without putting the Driver on, they were two in one, and he could still hear his partner’s voice in his mind. But now…  
  
It didn’t stop him from calling out, “Let’s go, partner!”  
  
**23 Dusty**  
For a long time, the Lost Driver sat unused in a box stashed in Shoutaro’s desk drawer, which was kept firmly locked since the day he and Philip retired from Rider duties. While the Double Driver ended up in his son’s (and his partner’s) possession immediately after, the Lost Driver would not see light of day until his goddaughter- who usually went by the Rider alias Build- smashed his desk apart and took it to meet his abductor… and kick the shit out of him as the second Kamen Rider Joker.  
  
**22 Exhaustion**  
He staggered home, tired from chasing wayward pets and Dopants alike. But then he saw Philip, smiling at him and telling him, “Welcome home, Shoutaro,” and all his lethargy evaporated as he replied, “I’m home, Philip.”  
  
**21 Bubbly**  
Shoutaro sipped his champagne as he watched the suspect make the rounds around the party. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Akiko doing the same, at another corner of the room. Ryu was dressed as a waiter, a pleasant, but fake smile on his face as he served wine and cocktails to increasingly drunk socialites.  
  
By his side was Philip, dressed in a little black cocktail dress and a brunette wig, looking so damned sexy that he was tempted to abandon the mission and throw him into a nearby closet to fuck him senseless.  
  
**20 Limbo**  
Shoutaro had no idea how he survived the year Philip was gone. He just went through the motions, day in and day out, numbly hoping that somehow, someday, he will wake up and no longer feel the profound pain of losing his other half.  
  
**19 Stage**  
Shoutaro had a moment of doubt as he tied the mask around his face, but before he could voice them his mouth opened and what came out was the first lines of the song Philip had chosen- and before he knew it, he and Philip were wowing the crowd and the judges with their cover of the popular hit ‘Finger on the Trigger’.  
  
**18 Veranda**  
Shoutaro leaned his elbows against the railing, letting Fuuto’s breeze flow through him and watching meteors fly overhead. He allowed himself to take one, calming breath before Philip joined him.  
  
The other came up to him, wrapping his arms around his waist. Shoutaro gently removed his hands and slid down to one knee, still holding his hands. And under a sky full of shooting stars, he asked his partner to marry him.  
  
**17 Marker**  
“Oi, Philip, I have a new lookup for you- PHILIP?!”  
  
He rushed over to his partner, who was lying face-down on the floor in front of his whiteboard, still holding his pen, which was probably now all dried up from being uncapped. When Shoutaro flipped him over and saw him snoring lightly, he sighed in relief and exasperation. “Geez, you silly research otaku…”  
  
Shoutaro carried Philip and laid him on the sofa, putting a blanket over him and a pillow under his head, then looked over the whiteboard and flushed as he realized what was written on it, over and over. _Hidari Philip. Hidari Philip. Hidari Philip..._  
  
**16 Obligation**  
At first, Shoutaro looked after the Child of Fate because he felt like he needed to, to honor his master’s final wish. But he came to realize that he had his own reasons to care for the Child of- no, for _Philip_.  
  
**15 Lingerie**  
Shoutaro wanted to scream, but found that his voice refusing to work, so all he could do was gape like a fish as Philip teased him, lightly brushing his bare chest, kissing and nipping playfully and smiling coyly- all while wearing _a matching bra and panties set_ clearly themed after Kamen Rider Joker- themed after _him_.  
  
**14 Wanderlust**  
Shoutaro has never felt the need to leave his hometown, but even he had to grudgingly agree that a honeymoon away from Fuuto had its perks, including getting to spend it kissing and making love to his lovely husband without them being interrupted by some jerk Dopant causing mayhem again.  
  
**13 Impress**  
Shoutaro may be half-boiled through and through, but his kindness and gentleness are part of his charm- and he’s handsome to boot. Contrary to what everyone else thinks, he’s actually quite popular with Fuuto’s women.  
  
**12 Blinded**  
His eyes were blurry from crying, but he stubbornly refused to wipe them for the sake of his image as a hard-boiled man. But Philip was having none of that, reaching up to gently dab at his eyes with delicate fingers- and suddenly his vision cleared, and he could see once again how resplendent Philip was in wedding green, smiling beatifically as he said “I do.”  
  
**11 Fracas**  
As the crying grew insistent, Shoutaro, groggily, made sure his partner was still asleep, then quietly padded over to the next room. He leaned over the small bed and carefully lifted the toddler up, cradling him gently. “Hey now, no need to cry,” he whispered, rocking his son back and forth to soothe him. “Daddy’s here.”  
  
**10 Putrid**  
Shoutaro grumbled as he stripped down to his singlet and boxers, throwing his soiled clothes into the hamper and going into the bath. He was still cursing the Dopant as he got naked and started washing himself off, using copious amounts of the perfumed body wash and shampoo Philip preferred to use over his generic bar soap.  
  
“Seriously, of all Dopants, why did it have to be ‘Trash’ today…?”  
  
**09 Clean**  
Shoutaro scrubbed at his hands, but he still saw red, so much red, and he kept scrubbing and scrubbing, finishing an entire bottle of hand soap, and he can’t seem to get rid of the blood- the Chief’s blood- that soaked into his skin, and he sobbed in despair- it was his fault, he didn’t listen, why didn’t he listen, and now the closest thing he had to a father was gone, and all that was left was a kid and the Chief’s blood, so much blood, on his hands…  
  
**08 Triumph**  
Museum was defeated, Foundation X’s plans foiled… so why did Shoutaro feel like he was the one who lost? (Because Philip- the most important thing in his world- was gone.)  
  
**07 Muggle**  
As far as Shroud was concerned, Hidari Shoutaro was not fit to be her only son’s partner.  
  
He was too soft, unlike Sokichi, who could make the hard decisions and stick by them. And he didn’t have the resistance Raito and Terui Ryu had for Dopant attacks, either. He was sentimental, weak, ineffective, and he would only get him and Raito both killed. Or so she thought.  
  
But there she was, _thanking_ Hidari Shoutaro, in spite of it all, because he had done right by her son in a more important way: he had taught her son to _live,_ and _love_ once again.

He had made Raito _human_ again.  
  
**06 Float**  
“Fuck, that’s creepy!” Shoutaro swore as the spell‘s effect wore off, and Takeru’s body disappeared once again, making the Joker Memory he’d been examining appear as though it were hovering in the air of its volition.  
  
“Ah, sorry!” His girlfriend(?) Akari shrieked as she retrieved her device and fired it once more; the junior monk and master of Tenkuuji reappearing in a burst of light.  
  
“You alright, senpai?” The boy (child!!!) asked him, tilting his head in worry.  
  
“Yeah, I think,” he replied. “Tell me again how this deal worked…”  
  
**05 Hanger**  
Shoutaro hummed as he hip-checked the door open to accommodate him and the clothes he just finished ironing. He laid the basket of folded clothes down on the floor near his and Philip’s shared armoire, placed the armful of clothes due for hanging up on the bed and opened the tiny walk-in closet, pushing his and Philip’s side apart to make room for the freshly-laundered clothes.  
  
Only to scream in surprise to see Philip inside, grinning mischievously, wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts. “Philip, what the hell?!”  
  
**04 Docudrama**  
Shoutaro imagines his life as one of the hard-boiled detective stories his mentor loved… With a dash of monsters and transforming heroes from a children’s TV show, a hint of BL (and the tiniest smidge of ecchi) from those trashy shoujo manga, quite a bit of the family drama soap operas thrive on…  
  
Okay, so maybe his life isn’t really like a Raymond Chandler novel but he wouldn’t have it any other way.  
  
**03 Meritocracy**  
Shoutaro gritted his teeth at Daido Katsumi’s taunting words, watching him transform into Eternal with the same kind of Driver as the Chief’s. There was no fucking way in hell that man- no, that _monster-_ could be a Kamen Rider. He was not worthy of the name this city gave to him, and Philip and Ryu, and he certainly wasn’t doing anything that would earn him the title.  
  
**02 Retirement**  
Shoutaro shuddered when he remembered being affected by Old; he hoped that when he actually grew to that age, he would do so more gracefully.  
  
**01 Luck**  
Shoutaro chuckled as he spotted Kentaro and Philip fast asleep, the former laying on his Papa’s chest. He melted at the sight, snapping a photo with his phone and throwing a light blanket over them before starting to prepare for bed himself.  
  
After a quick shower and change of clothes, he slipped under the blanket and curled next to Philip, sliding his arm over his son and reaching for Philip’s hand. Shoutaro, once more, thanked every deity from the Buddha to Fruit Jesus that he was able to do this at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Shoutaro will always be my favorite Rider, so thanks W, for giving me what I never thought I needed: a tall, dark handsome and halfboiled detective
> 
> Also, curse you Renn Kiriyama, you are too handsome for your own good.


	10. You and I, We Complete Each Other (half and half)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or: the proposal, hard(?)-boiled style

_I love you._  
  
_I’ve loved you since the day we first met. You were just a kid, back then. So was I. Maybe that’s why I didn’t realize it back then. I was foolish back then. I suppose I still am, in some ways._  
  
_I didn’t realize I loved you until you said those words to me. ‘You are my one and only partner.’ You and Akiko teased me because I was blushing so hard. It wasn’t really because of what you said. It was because I realized I was so far gone for you that I didn’t even remember what it was like not loving you. It was a little embarrassing, to be honest._  
  
_I knew, though, that to say something would jeopardize the partnership we already had. And… I was so scared of being hurt by you. I knew that if it were you rejecting me, there would be nothing left for me. I’m only half-boiled, after all._  
  
_I guess that’s part of the reason why I did all the stupid things I did during Bitou-san’s case. Even though you didn’t know it at the time, you broke my heart. You said I was your one and only, and yet…_  
  
_Don’t tell her, but I’m eternally gratefully Akiko talked to you, after. If it weren’t for her, I probably would’ve let myself drown in that river that day. I wouldn’t be here saying this to you if it weren’t for her. And I wouldn’t know what it would be like to really be one with you._  
  
_You know this, but the year you were gone might as well have been hell for me. I didn’t know how I managed to not kill myself somehow. I didn’t care if I did. It wasn’t just that I blamed myself for you dying, but… I wanted to join you, wherever you were. Stupid, I know, but that’s the truth. I’m sorry, partner._  
  
_Then you came back. You saved my life as Xtreme, then suddenly you were there. Like you never left. You called me half-boiled. I protested. We laughed. We transformed. We were Double again._  
  
_I almost said it, right then and there. If we’d been alone, that hug I gave you would’ve been a kiss. But Akiko and Terui and Akira and his sister and the perp were all there, and I had to settle for acting like I just got my best friend back, and not the man I love._  
  
_Little did I know, you- and Akiko and Ryu- already knew that I did. Akiko told me, a few months ago, that they found out when I was drunk one time and told them. And since you were watching over me as Xtreme, you heard it too, didn’t you?_  
  
_Little shit._  
  
_It doesn’t matter, anyway. I wouldn’t have accepted your advances that soon after you came back, to be honest. It wouldn’t have felt right._  
  
_It took a few years, but eventually we got our act together. I’m still kinda bitter you were the one who made the first move... but to be fair, I probably would’ve taken forever to even get the courage to kiss you like you kissed me the day we got together. Where did you even learn to do that thing with your tongue…?_  
  
_Heck, I was still pretty nervous about everything even after we started sleeping together. Sometimes I still wonder how the hell I was attractive to someone like you. You’re perfect, and I’m… me._  
  
_But… you look at me, and it’s enough. When you look at me the way you do, I don’t remember any of the stupid doubts I have about myself. All that matters is what I see in those gorgeous, all-seeing eyes._  
  
_I see you look at me with love in your eyes, and it’s enough. More than enough._  
  
_A few nights ago, you made love to me on the bed in the office… then I cried afterwards. You were worried that the sex was bad (though my earlier screaming your name should’ve told you otherwise). And I told you I was crying because I was so happy that it overwhelmed me. That I couldn’t think of a time when I was happier than when I’m with you. You make me so damned happy, Philip. All I can do is try to make you as happy as you make me happy._  
  
_When you finish this, come join me out on the balcony. I have something else to give you._  
  
_Happy anniversary, Philip._  
  
_All my love, Shoutaro._

* * *

Shoutaro had to admit, Philip’s idea of taking them out here to see the meteor shower had been a great idea. The room he’d chosen had a clear, unobstructed view of the night sky, and since it was out in the countryside, there was not much light pollution that would affect it.  
  
The meteors had already started flying overhead. Shoutaro felt bad for having Philip miss the beginning, but the Plan had called for it, and if things went his way, Philip wouldn’t even mind missing it. He just hoped Philip would finish up soon because he was getting more and more nervous.  
  
As if his prayers had been heard, Shoutaro heard the French doors behind him creak open. Before he could do anything, he found himself being hugged by his lover from behind. His arms were wrapped around his hips, his hands resting on top of each other on his stomach. “Thank you,” Philip mumbled into his shirt. “I love you too, Shoutaro.”  
  
It was now or never. Shoutaro gently extricated himself from Philip’s grasp, and just as he was about to ask what was wrong, Shoutaro went down on one knee, still holding his hands. Philip let out a gasp as he held out the thin silver band studded with a bright green emerald and a deep, dark amethyst separated by a band of mother-of-pearl. It was one of his mother’s- not her engagement ring, but one in her collection, a gift she had given him in hopes of finding a fine young lady to present it to.  
  
Having already said his piece through the letter, Shoutaro, without anymore fanfare, simply posed the question. “Will you marry me, Philip?”  
  
Philip sniffled, wiping away happy tears as he nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes…” he babbled, holding out his left hand. Shoutaro slipped the ring onto it, and on a whim, kissed his knuckles. Philip giggled a watery laugh, and Shoutaro stood so he could kiss his fiance properly. Philip moaned into it, his fingers curling into fists in his shirt.  
  
When they broke apart for air, Shoutaro leaned his forehead against Philip’s, sighing happily and holding him close. “Shall we watch the meteor shower together, Mister Hidari?” he inquired playfully, smiling at his husband-to-be.  
  
Shoutaro didn’t miss the way Philip’s eyes lit up at his new name. “It would be my pleasure,” he said breathlessly.  
  
They spent the rest of their anniversary curled up on that balcony, watching shooting stars, sharing kisses, arms wrapped around each other, thinking about how to share the good news with the others the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy tenth anniversary, W.


End file.
